Lafite

For those with ex­pen­sive epicurean tastes, Lafite is both a pi­o­neer and an old friend. Lux­u­ri­ous with­out be­ing os­ten­ta­tious, it is as good for a ro­man­tic din­ner as it is for a fam­ily re­union.

TATLER TIPS

There have been changes over the years. No more French provin­cial­ism; now there is a sur­feit of In­ter­con­ti­nen­tal cool.

Ad­ven­tur­ers who feel like head­ing off the beaten track will be re­warded, es­pe­cially with the three- and six-course de­gus­ta­tion menus. Those who feel like spend­ing a lit­tle less will need to do so at lunch, when the set meals pro­vide a su­perb in­tro­duc­tion to the glo­ries of French gas­tron­omy. Stick­ing to the a la carte menu of­fers more choices and many sur­prises. Lob­ster, for ex­am­ple, is trans­formed from a lux­ury cop-out to a man­i­fes­ta­tion of sweet firm flesh topped with bisque and paired with del­i­cate foie gras ravi­oli.